Ben Ezechime, Enugu
A renowned Professor of International Jurisprudence, Professor Joy Ezeilo, has commended the Nigerian Military for rescue of abducted students of Government Secondary School Kunga, Kaduna State.
Ezeilo made the commendation through her social media handles.
She said: “I am grateful to God and commend the military for rescuing 153 Nigerian children and women on Sunday.
“This is a huge relief for their parents, families, and all well-meaning Nigerians, including the international community.”
She, however, said there remained many unclear details regarding the rescue operation.
“For instance, we have learned that only 137 (76 females and 61 males) of the rescued individuals were Kaduna pupils, despite earlier reports indicating that 287 pupils were abducted.
“This raises several questions that need to be answered.
“It also highlights the recurring problem of poor record-keeping, data management, transparency, and information sharing in Nigeria,” Ezeilo said.
The erudite professor went further to question how many children were actually kidnapped from Kaduna School.
According to her: “Was it that all the abducted children were rescued?
“How did they move them from Kaduna to Zamfara State?
“What about the kidnappers or abductees? Was there no single arrest or casualty?
“There may be more to this than meets the eye.
“Was this a case of negotiation and ransom payment? No one knows, as a lot is still shrouded in secrecy.”
Professor Ezeilo also said: “I’m relieved but still a mixed grill as we hear (unconfirmed) that some of the children may also have died in captivity and that some are now orphans.
“How do we ensure accountability and prosecution of suspects?
“How do we prevent future abduction in what appears to be now a lucrative business that is destroying lives and adding to the country’s overwhelming insecurity?
“How do we ensure safe schools and safe cities?
“We hope that no child is left behind like the Dapchi and Chibok schoolgirls kidnappings, amongst others.
“We also plead and demand the rescue of women in IDP camps in Borno State.”
She urged the military and other security agencies to go extra Miles to rescue abducted Borno women IDPs and all others in captivity across the country.
“Kudos again to the military. We don’t know how you did it. Still, please do it again concerning Borno women IDPs and all others in captivity, especially the most vulnerable women and children,” Ezeilo said.
